Legend of Mana: Book One:The Jumi Clan
by Chris Star
Summary: Amana could navigate through the town literally with her eyes closed, and she knew everyone there by name. But she had no idea that that day, one visit the the quiet town she came to so often would change her life forever...
1. Chapter 1:Sky of Dust

Disclaimer:I do not own Legend of Mana or any of its characters (except for the name given to the heroine...) and I make no money off of this writing!

Amana quietly enterred the town of Domina, the tiny village that resided a fifteen-minute walk from the home she'd lived in as long as she could remember. The town was fairly simply-a weapons shop, a tavern, an inn, a small marketplace, and the cathedral amongst a handful of small houses where the citizens resided. Although Amana herself didn't live within the town's limits, after visiting almost daily for most of her life, she could navigate through the town literally with her eyes closed, and she knew everyone there by name. Some of the residents were less pleasant than others-such as the merchant Niccolo, who was always cheating people out of money-but all in all, it was a nice, quiet town with no problems. But Amana had no idea that that day, one visit the the quiet town she came to so often would change her life forever...

Amana had been walking down the path leading from the village entrance to the small square where the inn, tavern, and weapons shop were located. She'd decided today to pay a visit to her friend Rachel, who worked as a waitress at the tavern. Just as she enterred the square, she spotted two people. One she recognized clearly as Duelle, the small onion warrior who guarded the town. Not that it needed much guarding, nothing off ever occurred here. The second was a complete stranger to the blond. A young man with teal hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore clothing one would expect to see of someone travelling through the desert. This struck Amana as odd. It was the middle of spring, and while Domina was a bit warmer than some other places in the area, it was certainly no desert.

"Hey!"Duelle yelled to the young man, who had his back to him. The young man turned to the onion knight, an annoyed expression on his face. "At least give me your name!"

The young man paused for a long time, then muttered simply, "Elazul." With that, he turned away and enterred the tavern.

"Jeez..."Duelle muttered to Amana as she stepped up beside him. "He makes me sick."

"I've never seen him before."the blond commented. "Is he new around here?"

"Yeah. He seems to be looking for someone. Teapo says she was threatened by him, but you know she overreacts a lot."

"That's true."Amana chuckled.

"Anyways, back to duty for me."

"Right. See you later, Duelle."

Amana watched as the small warrior headed toward the weapons shop, his "post" within the town. Still curious about the stranger, Amana walked over to the tavern. She had been intending to go there in the first place, so it wasn't like it was out of her way. She enterred the building, cheerfully calling,

"Hey, Rachel, what's u-"she stopped in mid-sentence at the sight she saw. Her fairy-winged friend stood before the stranger-Elazul-she had seen outside, quivering. One at first glance would immediately assume that the man was threatening Rachel, but Amana had known the girl all her life. Rachel didn't tell most people, but she had a strong fear of any man besides her own father, and so much as speaking to them terrified her. Amana was sure this young man's unfriendly attitude wouldn't help much. Amana walked over to where the two stood.

"Hey, what's going-"

"Silence!"Elazul snapped in the blond's direction. "Do not interrupt!" He immediately turned to Rachel again. "Speak up!" the terrified girl remained silent, and he took a step closer to her. "Don't make me angry..."the same pattern occurred-Rachel was silent, and Elazul took a step closer. "What are you hiding?"

Rachel trembled, and Amana stepped in between the two. Calmly, she asked the man,

"What happened?"

Elazul frowned, eyeing the blond in a scrutinizing manner. Eventually, he muttered,

"A friend is missing."

"What does this friend look like?"

"She wears a white dress and has long hair. She's like a sister to me... I am worried."

"I'll help you look for her."

The man blinked, seeming in shock. "Together, with me...? But you mustn't... No, I would be grateful!"

Rachel bit her lower lip, gently tugging at Amana's dress.

"What?"Elazul asked the girl.

"Here..."Rachel stuttered out, handing Amana a piece of jade carved into a perfectly smooth, egg shape. "I found this... They call these Artifacts, right? They lead a person to places they've never been before?"

"So...?"Elazul said in an uncaring manner, then he frowned. "What's this...?"

A small flash of bluish light seemed to appear from Elazul's chest. Amana followed the light, and her eyes widened in surprise. The blue gem that she had initiazlly assumed to be a piece of jewelry... was actually part of his body! Could he be one of the Jumi she had read about.

"It smells like Pearl..."Elazul said. "Let's hurry!"

"Right!"Amana nodded, before turning to Rachel. "Sorry I couldn't stay longer, Rach. I'll see you later."

"Okay... Bye, Amana..."

Amana was familiar with Artifacts-often called AFs for short. It was one of the things the old man who had raised her-Grandpa she'd called him, though he'd made it clear that they were not biologically related-had taught her. An Artifact was a piece of the land from which it came. They resonated with the Mana of that land, growing stronger the closer one came to its origin. By following the pulse of Mana, one would find the place the Artifact belonged. More often than not, this was a place the person had never been to before. Once one came upon the place the Artifact would lead them to, the Artifact itself would vanish, again released out into the world to lead someone new to that place.

Most Artifacts led to stationary places. When Grandpa had tested her to see how well she could use them, he had blind-folded her, taken her out to an unknown destination-which she would discover later to be the Luon Highway-and told her to find her way home by using the Artifact from their home-a miniature mailbox. But others led to moving objects you might never find again unless you happened across its Artifact a second time. Amana had once found an Artifact that led her to a pirate ship-the S.S. Buccaneer. The only reason she hadn't lost track of that place was because she had befriended the captain, and he made sure to keep her constantly updated on their whereabouts.

The Jade Egg Rachel had given her led Amana and Elazul to a place called the Mekiv Caverns. Amana had never been here before, but she'd read quite a lot about the caverns. They were supposedly very dangerous, and filled with monsters. As the enterred the caverns, the Egg vanished from Amana's hands. Eleazul took a step forward.

"I sense brilliance nearby... It must be Pearl! We should hurry!"

Amana nodded, reaching behind her back to unhook her spear from the strap that held it back there. They advance cautiously into the caverns. About an hour passed, and Amana stopped as she suddenly felt a dark aura ahead.

"What's wrong?"Elazul frowned. "Why did you stop?"

"There's something big in the next cavern that definitely means to do us harm."the blond stated. "I hope you're ready for this."

"I'm ready for anything. Let's go!"

The two rushed in, braced and ready for battle. A large creature stood within the cavern, branidshing a giant club topped with the skull of some horned creature. It roared angrily, advancing toward the two insignificant creatures that only stood as tall as his knee. Elazul rushed forward, his sword drawn. The creature sneered, kicking at the blue-clad man and sending him flying into a wall.

"Are you alright?"Amana called.

"I'm fine! Focus on the fight!"Elazul shouted back, pushing himself off the wall. Amana nodded, returning her attention to the creature. She stabbed her spear into it's foot, and it howled in rage before sucking in a deep breath. It blew the breath out in the blond's direction, and she shivered as a freezing feeling enveloped her, dragging her to her knees for a few moments. Eleazul was immediately on the creature, keeping it away from his partner as she recovered and staggered to her feet. The two continued slashing with their weapons, dodging away from kicks and club swings, until the creature began to sway dizzily. It was almost finished...

"Alright! Time for the finishing strike!"Amana grinned. She jumped high into the air, her spear pulled back and poised to strike. With a mighty heave, she threw the weapon toward the creature, watching as it sunk deep into its heart, blood spurting. Howling in pain, the creature collapsed to the ground, eventually growing completely still. Amana sighed in relief, jumping onto its chest to retrieve her weapon.

"Well, I'm gonna have to clean this tonight..."she muttered to herself as she jumped down again. Elazul frowned, looking around the cavern.

"Pearl! Where are you!" the gem in his body-his core, according to what Amana had read-flashed again. A similar flash of light appeared from a cluster of rocks nearby. A girl in a white dress with blond hair in two long braids carefully stepped out from the rocks. Amana could see that, just like Elazul, she seemed to have a jewel as part of her body.

"Elazul?"the girl said hesitantly.

"Is your core alright?"Elazul demanded immediately, rushing over to the girl.

"Yes..."

Now that he was sure that she was alright, Elazul immediately grew angry with the girl.

"I told you not to go wandering by yourself! How did you end up here?"

"I was, um, just thinking about things..."she murmured guiltily, scuffing her shoe against the stone ground.

"You don't need to think anymore. Right now you should just stay safe by my side."

"But..."

"That's enough!"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"You have a point, but you don't need to be so harsh!"Amana pointed out to Elazul, frowning at him as she rested her spear against her shoulder.

"You stay out of this!"Elazul growled.

Pearl looked to other girl before turning to Elazul again.

"Who is that?"

"Just someone whoe helped me find you... A strange kind of person..."

"Oh..."

"I have a name."Amana frowned. "It's Amana."

Ignoring the comment, Elazul said to Pearl,

"Well then, let's go."

"But..."Pearl began.

"See you around."Elazul said to Amana before turning and beginning off. Pearl sighed, then stepped over to Amana.

"Um... Th-thank you..." Elazul turned back with an irritated look.

"We're going!"

"I'm sorry..."Pearl said. "I'm coming." She turned to Amana again. "Thank you, Amana. This is for all you've done for me." The girl handed over an item Amana recognized as an Artifact. It was a lamp in the shape of a Moon Flower. "That Artifact should lead you to the city of Lumina. Elazul and I already know our way there, so we don't need it anymore. Well... bye!"

Well, what do you think? I know it's not very long, but let's face it, most of the missions in Legend of Mana don't give you much to work with story-wise, just dungeon-crawling and fights. There's no way I'm going to write out dungeon-crawling, and I'm doing the best I can on boss fights based on what moves are used while I'm playing through as I type this. Anyway, as you've noticed, this story is referred to as "Book One". I plan on doing a "novelization" of each set of missions that immediately correspond with one another. Right now, the only ones I specifically have planned are the Jumi Clan (all Jumi-related missions), Star-Crossed Lovers (the missions relating to Escad, Daena, Matlida, and Irwin), and Dragon Slayer (missions related to Larc and Sierra). I may or may not cover others, I haven't decided yet. Once these have been finished, I will do a 'book' depicting the last few missions in the game.


	2. Chapter 2:Lost Moon

Author's Note:I'd like to apologize ahead of time before even beginning to type for how short I know this chapter is going to end up. This chapter is my novelization of the Looking-Glass Tower mission, and that mission is pretty much all dungeon-crawling. I'll try my best to draw it out, but it may be easier said than done.

Amana stared up at the night sky shining above Lumina, the small night-time town she had discovered through the Firefly Lamp Pearl had given her. This was a rather nice little town, but she wasn't so sure about the Dudbears. They were cute little creatures, and easy to get along with now that she had learned their language from that barman, but they had a little too much energy for her liking. It seemed like they never ran out!

Drifting from her thoughts, Amana's gaze fell to the new Artifact she now held. The Moon's Mirror. The lampmaker Monique had given it to her to thank her for helping sell her lamps. Monique didn't know where the Mirror would lead, but she didn't plan on leaving Lumina, so she had no use for it.

"You're an adventurer, right?"the siren had said. "I'm sure you'll get more use out of it than I will!"

A little smile crossed Amana's features. "Well, it's better than sitting around doing nothing. I'm curious now."

"Wow..."Amana muttered, gazing up at the tall tower the Mirror had led her to. Before the tower stood an open gatway, adorned with a pattern of crescent moons, and with large raven statues standing at either side. As Amana's eyes fell away from the tower, she noticed a figure standing just within the gateway with their back toward her. The person wore a white dress, and had long blond hair tied in two braids.

"Leires..."Amana heard the person mumur to themself. The person took a step back, bumping into Amana. With a scream of fright, the person quickly turned and Amana saw a familiar face.

"Pearl?"

"Amana?"Pearl immediately looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry... I get carried away in my own thoughts... Thanks for finding me in the cave, but I've been separated from Elazul again..."the girl turned to gaze up at the tower. "I feel like the tower is calling me... I have to go..."

Amana frowned. She considered talking the other girl out of it, but she had a feeling the girl wouldn't listen. With a sigh, the blond said,

"I'll go with you."

"Thank you, Amana..."Pearl murmured with a smile.

With one hand always at her spear, Amana led Pearl into the tower. The interior was a confusing mass of stairways and corridors, and Amana found herself getting lost several times. Eventually, the two found themselves on the third floor. Amana stepped through a large doorway in the center of the hall and found herself in large, nearly empty room. In the center of the room stood a pedestal. Atop it sat a glowing, crystal-like object.

"I've read about these."Amana commented as she studied the device. "It's called a Teleportation Device. It should bring us immediately to a certain floor of the building."

"Let's use it."Pearl suggested. "Maybe it will bring us to the top."

Amana nodded, activating the device the way she'd read it was done. The room seemed to shake, flashing with a rainbow light, and Pearl nearly lost her balance.

"Are you alright?"Amana asked once the movement had stopped.

"I... I think so. I wasn't expecting that."

Amana smiled softly. "We should be on another floor now."

Cautiously, the two blonds stepped out of the room. Amana stepped over to a window and peered out. "Definitely not on the third floor anymore. I'd say more like the tenth."

"Amana, look, there's another staircase."Pearl pointed to a staircase leading up at the other end of the hall. Amana nodded, and the two ascended the stairs. At the top, Pearl came to a stop.

"The room of fate lies beyond the door. Everyone must face their past."she began stepping toward the large double-doors across the hall. "I..."

"Pearl? What's wrong?"Amana asked, following close by the other girl.

"I'm sorry, Amana... Run if it gets dangerous..."

Amana frowned in confusion as Pearl opened the door and they stepped within the room. A large looking glass stood against a back wall, but it was being guarded by someone. A woman stood before them wearing a black dress, her blond hair plaited into a braid down her back. Pearl stepped toward the woman, Amana sticking close with her hand on her spear, just in case.

"You're the guard?"Pearl questioned. Her core flashed, and she stepped closer to the woman. "Please... tell me. I want to know my own past..."

Suddenly, a dark aura surrounded Pearl, and seemed to fling her to the floor before the looking glass.

"Pearl!"Amana exclaimed. The mysterious woman seemed to be engulfed within darkness, and her body faded away, replaced by a giant iron centaur carrying an axe that was easily twice the size of Amana's body. Amana cursed, bracing herself for battle. The creature reared up on its hindlegs before jumping high into the air. Amana managed to dodge out of the way before its hooves came into contact with the ground where she had just been standing, but the shockwaves of the impact sent the ground shaking, and the blond fell to her knees. She quickly recovered herself and slashed at its legs with her spear, twice barely dodging a swing of its ax. Suddenly, thre creature reared its ax back, jabbing quickly at the girl several times. One of the blows found purchase against her left shoulder, and she cursed as her right hand rose up to the wound, trying to slow the blood flow. She furiously stabbed her spear into the creatures knee, and it reared back in pain.

"Let's see how you like this, you bastard!"she snapped, raising the spear abover her head with both hands and twirling it repeatedly in a circular motion. The speed picked up until a gust of wind erupted from the weapon, engulfing the creature and sending it plummeting into the wall. The centaur gave one last, weak attempt at standing before slumping defeatedly to its knees, fading into the shadows that had spawned it. Amana sighed in relief, before quickly rushing over to where Pearl lay by the mirror.

"Pearl, are you alright?"

"I was so scared..."Pearl murmured, looking up at the other with terrified eyes.

"It's alright. The monster's gone now.

"Huh?"Pearl murmured, looking down at her core. "My core..."

The core flashed, and Amana heard the distinct sound of Elazul's core responding from out in the hall.

"Pearl!"Elazul exclaimed, rushing into the room.

"Elazul..."

"I thought I told you not to wander around!"

"I'm sorry..."the girl murmured guiltily. "If I try to remember something..."

Elazul sighed, turning to Amana. "Thanks again... Let's go, Pearl!" 

The girl looked devestated as Elazul began walking toward the exit of the room. "I feel like I can... Please, help me... Please... Please, Elazul..."Elazul stopped. "Elazul..."

"I understand..."Elazul murmured softly, then turned to Amana.

"Take Pearl to the bottom of the tower..."he stepped toward Amana, his eyes narrowed. "If anything happens to her, I will kill you... Understand?"

Amana nodded, standing her ground against the threat. Elazul turned to the door again.

"I'll clean up the little trash. Don't let Pearl get in over her head. "

Elazul left, and Pearl stepped over to Amana.

"Thank you for helping me."

"No problem. But Elazul needs to learn to chill out."Amana chuckled.

Finally reaching the bottom of the tower, Amana and Pearl began making their way to the exit. Just as Amana was beginning to exit the building, Pearl noticed what appeared to be a card falling to the ground.

"What was that?"

The two cautiously approached the card, and Pearl picked it up.

"A note!"she gasped. "The jewel hunter!"

Suddenly, a woman dropped down from the cieling behind them, orange flowers tucked into her red hair and a green dress covering her body. Amana immdiately stood protecively before Pearl, grasping her spear.

"I've wanted to meet you!"the woman laughed.

"No..."Pearl breathed.

"Your core is mine! Judge the clod who has forgotten its sparkle! Go! Jewel Beast!"

The woman threw a glass sphere to the ground and in a flash of light a beast appeared from it.

"Pearl, get back!"Amana yelled, shoving Pearl away from the creature before lunging toward it, slashing her spear toward it gaping maw. She soon realized that was a bad choice, as a crystal-like blade shot out of it's maw to attack her, slicing against her right arm as she barely managed to dodge a fatal strike. She cursed, instead focusing her attacks on what she assumed was the abdomen as it was attached directly to its legs. The creature repeated that same attack several times, but with her directly under it, its attacks mostly grazed across her back, ripping her dress and only managing shallow wounds in her flesh that would heal relatively quickly. After this attack pattern proved fruitless, the creature reared back, balancing itself on its head. Its legs came together at the end and began to spin. Amana backed off, watching as the creature plunged downward like a drill, sending chunks of the stone floor flying at her. She dodged most of the rubble, but one manage to slam into her knee hard enough to make her stumble and guareantee it'd be sore the next few days, but not hard enough to cause any permanent damage. Wincing in pain, Amana managed to make her way behind the beast, her spear glowing with pale blue light as she prepared what she hoped would be the final strike. She made a mad dash toward her target, plunging her spear out just before she reached it. The force of the blow combined with the Mana energy she had put into it created a gaping hole in the creature's body, and Amana stood on the other side of it, her back toward it, as it shattered into glass fragments. She weakly slumped to her knees, and Pearl rushed over to make sure she was alright.

"Quite a partner you have, Pearl."the woman chuckled.

"Why...?"Pearl asked. "Why do you hunt us? How terrible!"

"Listen to your core..."

"Huh...?"Pearl muttered in confusion.

"We'll meet again. Goodnight, Pearl."

With that, the woman vanished into the night. Pearl trembled.

"Am I going to die? A Guardian without a Knight is a sitting duck. Elazul is looking for others... And if that Jumi is a Guardian, then he'll... And I'll be all alone... I hope he never finds one."Pearl turned to Amana again. "I have to go. Elazul is waiting... I'll get yelled at again. Will you be alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."Amana assured her, pulling herself to her feet weakly. "This may look bad, but I've had way worse."

Pearl nodded. "Thank you, Amana. Take care..."

Waving lightly to her friend, Pearl left the tower to meet Elazul at the gate.

Well, I managed to make that longer than I thought, but still not all that long. That aside, I hope you all enjoyed it!


	3. Chapter 3:Flame of Hope

"Do you think Elazul is here, Amana?"Pearl questioned from Amana's shoulder as they enterred the mountainous town.

"Maybe."Amana said in response. Amana had stumbled upon Pearl wandering the Luon Highway when she'd been there to help Niccolo with his bandit problem. She hadn't had the heart to just leave the girl there, so she'd agreed to help her find Elazul. They'd had no luck in Domina and Lumina, and Amana had decided next to try Gato Grottoes, a theocratic town on the edge of the Duma Desert.

"I hope we find him soon..."the Jumi of Pearl murmured, clinging to the back of Amana's dress.

"I'm sure we will."Amana assured her with a smile as she started up path to her right. As she looked ahead, she noticed a Sproutling laying on the ground, a white-clad nun leaning over him with a concerned expression on her face.

"Excuse me,"the nun said kindly. "but are you feeling alright?"

"My tummy hurts..."the childlike creature whined. The nun turned her head to Amana and Pearl.

"Oh, could you help me take care of him?"

"Of course!"Amana agreed immediately, Pearl nodding in agreement beside her.

"Thanks..."the Sproutling murmured, rising carefully to his feet, a wince on his face from the pain in his tummy. "Ow, my tummy!"

The nun placed a hand on his shoulder, gesturing to a nearby shop.

"Come on, try to walk to that shop over there."

The nun began leading the Sproutling to the shop, Amana and Pearl following a few feet behind.

"Oh.."the Sproutling whined again. "N-No, I can't... Someone help meeee!"

The Sproutling ran away crying in pain, and the three women watched him in concern.

"I wonder if he is alright?"the nun murmured.

"Amana, we should follow him."Pearl said to her companion. "He looked like he was in so much pain..."

"You're right."Amana nodded to the other blond. "I'm sure we can do something to help him."

The two followed the path they'd seen the Sproutling run down, coming to a fork of two mountain paths. Pearl shuddered as she clung tighter to Amana, not liking how dangerous those paths looked. Amana placed an assuring hand on the Jumi Guardian's own hand on her arm, carefully walking along the path to her right. About a ten-minute treck, and the two found themselves atop a cliff over looking the valley gorge. The Sproutling was there as well, another nun standing before him.

"My tummy hurts!"the Sproutling whined to the nun. "Please help me!"

"Let me see..."the nun said, crouching down to take a look at the ailing creature's stomach. "Oh, it's a Popo Bug! It can cure most anything!"

"Help me!"another whine, accompanied by a stamp of the foot.

"Just wait!"the nun responded. "That bug is the ultimate medicine. Let's just remove it."

"You're going to help me?"the Sproutling asked hopefully.

The nun nodded, reaching for one of the Sproutling's leaves. "I'm going to peel away a leaf to take out the Popo."

"Noooooo!"the Sproutling screamed in horror, immediately turning and running away. He rushed straight past Amana and Pearl, rushing back down the mountain path.

"Oh, what a waste!"the nun said to herself. "Popo Bugs are so expensive... I think Mr. Rubens needed that medicine, too."

"Rubens..."Pearl murmured, and Amana looked to her friend curiously. "That name sounds so familiar."

"A friend of yours?"Amana questioned.

"I don't really remember..."Pearl responded.

"Hm, odd."Amana frowned. "Well, let's go find the Sproutling, okay?"

"Yes!"Pearl nodded her head.

The two went back down the path, eventually returning to the fork from before. Standing along the path they had not yet taken, Amana now noticed a man standing with his arms crossed, looking impatient about something. His red hair arched up in a flame-like shape, pushed back from his face with a metal band adorned with red jewels and a yellow scarf, the sort one could pull up to cover their face when traveling through the desert. His body was covered by pants and long-sleeved shirt that were almost robe-like int he way the thick fabric lay, colored in red with golden orange embellishments resembling flames. The desert-traveler garb reminded Amana quite a bit of Elazul's clothing.

As the two approached down the path, the young man suddenly looked up to them.

"Excuse me."he called, getting their attention. "I'm Rubens, a fire-keeper for this town. Let me ask you something."

"Rubens?"Pearl tilted her head curiously. "Um, could you possibly be..."

Rubens frowned at the blond. "What? I think you are talking about a different person."he immediately changed the subject by turning his gaze again to Amana. He must have assumed that she, as the only one of them armed, was in charge. "I hear a thief is after the temple's flame. Did you see anyone suspicious on your way here?"

"No, not really."Amana said with a shake of her head.

"You didn't? Well, I guess that's good."

"Did you happen to see a Sproutling come by here?"Amana asked.

"That Sproutling was acting strange."he commented. "I think he went to the temple. It's down this path here."

"Thank you very much."Amana smiled, again taking Pearl's hand and starting down the path. They walked along the surprsingly sturdy path for a while, eventually coming to a place where the path itself seemed to stretch out into midair away from the mountain. At the end of the path, a large temple was carved into the stone itself.

"Wow,"Pearl breather, wide-eyed. The image this presented was absolutely stunning. But then her eyes lowered and she whimpered at how much more dangerous this part of the path looked compared to the rest.

"Don't worry, I promise I won't let you fall."Amana assured her. Pearl nodded, clinging tightly to Amana's arm and allowing the taller blond to lead her along the path intot he temple. They stepped inside, and sure enough there was the Sproutling. Yet again he was whining to a nun, one who was knelt in prayer before a candlelit altar.

"Stop it."the nun said calmly.

"My tummy hurts! Please do something about the Popo bug!"

"Calm your soul, and all worldly pains will vanish."

"But it hurts!"he whined.

"You must meditate. Everything is in your mind."

"Somebody help me!"the Sproutling sobbed, running out of the temple. Amana gave an annoyed sigh as he again ran right past them.

"This is starting to get one my nerves..."she mumbled as she and Pearl again stepped out of the temple. They walked back to where they had met Rubens earlier, finding he was no longer there.

"Maybe he went back to the cliff."Pearl suggested.

"You might be right."Amana nodded, and headed back to the cliff. Pearl had been right, the Sproutling was indeed there with the nun. And Rubens was there as well.

"My tummy hurts!"the Sproutling exclaimed to them both. "Help me, but don't tear off my leaves!"

"Alright, my dear."the nun nodded. "Come over here, I will help you."

"Okay!"the Sproutling nodded before approaching them.

"Here, Mr. Rubens."the nun said to Rubens.

"Yes."Rubens murmured, stepping over to the Sproutling. Suddenly, there was a flash of red light from beneath Rubens' closes, accompanied by the chiming sound Amana was all too familiar with hearing whenever Elazul's and Pearl's cores Pulsed.

"Ow!"the Sproutling whined loudly.

"Go aheaad, Mr. Rubens."the nun urged the redhead.

"No, wait."he shook his head, the yellow scarf hanging from his head band swaying with the motion.

"Well?"the nun questioned. "Don't you want to revive your petrified sweetheart?"

"Yes, but..."Rubens began.

"Ooooh, you meanie!"the Sproutling exclaimed before taking off yet again.

"See?"the nun said to Rubens, aggitation clear in her voice. "Now he got away!"

"I don't want to hurt anyone."Rubens insisted.

"Then you can't protect anyone. You're too soft."Rubens didn't respond, but looked irritated with the statement. "Life is like this town, cutting through rocks to make pathways."

The nun walked away from Rubens, stopping when she was close to where Amana and Pearl stood.

"We can't get to the top without a flame of hope in our hearts. Don't you think so?"she then looked to the two blonds. "Only those strong enough survive. It's nature's way. You need to hurt others to protect your precious ones. Don't you agree, little princess?"her eyes fell to Pearl with that last statement.

"You know who I am?"Pearl blinked in surprise.

"Well, what do you think?"the nun grinned. Pearl stepped away from the woman, not liking the look in her eyes. Amana frowned, standing protectively close to the smaller woman. Pearl's eyes drifted to Rubens, and she walked over to him.

"Um, excuse me..."

Once again, a flash of red light and the sound of a Pulsing core came from Rubens' clothing.

"Are you a... Jumi?"he asked Pearl hesitatingly.

"You ARE a Jumi!"Pearl exclaimed in excitement. "Oh, we aren't the only ones left! Elazul will be so happy to hear this!"

"Who are you, anyway?"Rubens questioned.

"Oh, excuse me! I am called Pearl, a Jumi of Pearl."

"Please leave."Rubens said bluntly, surprising both women.

"E-Excuse me?"Pearl stuttered.

"What's your problem?"Amana demanded angrily. She knew Pearl and Elazul had both been searching long and hard to find other Jumi, and now that they finally had, he was blowing her off?

"I don't want others to know that I am a Jumi."Rubens answered calmly.

"But... why?"Pearl asked in desperation.

"People are old-fashioned here, and the jewel hunter is around."

Amana frowned at that, remembering the woman who had attacked them at the Tower trying to steal Pearl's core.

"I am sorry..."Pearl murmured. "But before I leave, I have a question. Why did the city of Jumi go to ruin?"

"You don't know?"Rubens raised an eyebrow. "Hmm... You must have been too young. It wasn't because of any invasions or jewel hunters." Pearl gave a confused look. "It was a Jumi traitor!"

"No...!"Pearl gasped.

"Well, that is the truth. Now leave."

"A traitor...?"Pearl whispered to herself. Amana gave Pearl's hand a reassuring squeeze before deciding maybe a distration would do her some good.

"Hey, why don't we keep trying to find that Sproutling?"

Pearl nodded. "Alright. Amana... thank you for being here for me."

Amana gave her friend a smile. "No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"

"Friends, huh...?"Pearl murmured to herself wth a pleased little smile. She and Elazul did so much traveling, it was difficult for them to get to know anyone well enough to make any friends besides eachother. She was happy to know that Amana actually considered her a friend, and not just a nuisance. "Thank you, Amana. Let's go find the Sproutling."

Amana nodded. Noting that the Sproutling seemed to have a pattern of going to the town's nuns for help, Amana decided to check and see if he had again returned to the temple. As soon as they enterred the temple, they were shocked to find the nun who had been praying earlier was now lying on the floor.

"Oh, no!"Amana exclaimed, rushing over to the nun and kneeling beside her.

"Oh!"a voice exclaimed behind Amana, and she turned to find a man she recognized from Domina as Inspector Boyd standing in the temple entrance, his eyes on her and the nun. He walked over to her.

"Aha! A crime! The victim is... a... nun. She has no external wounds. Hey, you!"he snapped at Amana. "Don't touch the body!"

Amana promptly stood and backed away, Pearl again coming to stand at her side.

"I... I am still alive..."the nun murmured.

"Oh, my apologies!"the Inspector blinked. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I twisted my ankle when the Sproutling bumped into me."

Inspector Boyd cursed loudly. "So she disguised herself as a Sproutling! What could she want!" He cursed again. "Blast it, Sandra!"

The man promptly made his way out of the temple. Amana again knelt beside the nun to make sure she was alright. Another nun emerged from one of the halls, and when she saw what was happening she immediately came over to her sister's aid.

"I will take care of her."she assured Amana. "Thank you very much for your concern, young lady."

Amana nodded. "No problem. I hope she recovers soon."

Amana stood and looked to Pearl. "I guess he's not here anymore."

"You're right."Pearl nodded. "We could check the cliff again."

"We're pretty much just going back and forth repeatedly."Amana couldn't help laughing, but agreed with Pearl. They headed back to the cliff, but Amana came to a stop just around the corner of the path. It sounded like Rubens and the nun were arguing. Amana gestured to Pearl to be silent, and the two discreetly peeked around the corner to see what was going on.

"What is it?"Rubens questioned the nun in irritation.

"I think I will get the Popo bug from that Sproutling."the nun answered.

"Well, go ahead. I'm not going to do it."

"How callous! So you don't care one way or another about your love in Geo?"

Rubens' eyes widened in shock, and he took a step away from the woman. "How is it you know where she is?"

The woman chuckled, stepping closer to the red-haired Jumi. "Good question..."

"Don't mock me."Rubens growled, taking an angry step forward.

"Well, if you don't want it, can I take the Popo bug?"

"Fine by me."

"You don't care whether it affects your girlfriend or the Sproutling, do you?"

Rubens looked furious as he got close to the woman. "Look, I don't want to interfere in anyone's life. And I don't want anyone interfering in mine. Just leave me alone."

Rubens turned and began walking away from the nun.

"Never."the nun got that evil look in her eye that had scared Pearl earlier, and suddenly lunged at Rubens as he turned to respond to her statement. "Stones who lose their sparkle shall be punished!"

"Oh!"Pearl gasped in horror as Rubens was punched in the stomach. Rubens fell to the ground, clutching his stomach and struggling to regain his breath after having the wind knocked out of him.

"How... dare you..."

"Mr. Rubens!"Pearl exclaimed. Amana decided it was time to stop hiding, and immediately rushed toward the fray while drawing her spear, Pearl behind her.

"Come any closer, and I'll kill him."the nun hissed at the two.

"Please, stop this!"Pearl begged.

"Oh, shut your moth, little princess."the woman chuckled before looking to Rubens. "Do as I say, and I won't harm your core."

"What... do you... want...?"Rubens rasped, his breathing still labored.

"I wanna see some tears! Cry like a child and beg for your life."

Pearl gave a horrified gasp, taking a step back.

"Well? Where are your tears?"

"But... I can't..."Rubens breathed.

"That's just too bad. Good bye, Ruby Knight."

The woman crouched over Rubens and ripped his shirt open. Glistening in his chest was a Jumi core, glistening ruby red in the sunlight. The woman chuckled, and Pearl and Amana watched in horror as she reached out her hand and gripped the jewel. Amana and Pearl watched in horror as Ruben's face twisted in agony when the woman's grip tightened. With a violent tug, the woman ripped the core from his body, a scream of absolute pain rushing from the Jumi's lips. The core Pulsed in the woman's hand as she gazed at it witha wicked glee in her eyes before they fell to Rubens.

"Still alive, eh? Jumi of the Lucidia are indeed formidable."she laughed as she held up the core, which Pulsed once more. "As I warned you, I'm taking the Flame of Hope!"

"You will not get away with this!"Pearl screamed furiously.

"Oh come on, little princess. I know you don't care."

"What!"

"Don't shout. You are only a rock."

"I am not a rock!"Pearl exclaimed.

"Just be quiet, like a good little rock. Okay?"

"Shut your moth!"Amana ordered. "Don't you talk to her like that!"

"I'm not a rock!"Pearl insisted in the same voice one would expect of someone on the verge of tears, but there were no tears in her eyes. "I'm not!"

"Just ask your own core whether you're just a rock or not."the woman chuckled before vanishing. Pearl immediately ran over to Rubens and knelt beside him, cradling his head in her lap.

"Mr. Rubens..."

"Oh no!"the women both looked up to see Inspector Boyd standing on the path. The man yet again cursed loudly. "I was too late! Blast it!"

The Inspector's gaze turned to Amana. "So it was you! Give yourself up, Sandra, and take those crazy stick out of your hair!"

Amana gasped in offense, her hand raising to the decorative ivory chopsticks she wore in her hair.

"A nun!"Pearl exclaimed in Amana's defense. "She was disguised as a nun!"

The Inspector cursed again. "Sandra is a master of disguise! But I WILL catch her!"

Boyd immediately took off down the mountain path, and Rubens gave a pained groan from where his head lay in Pearl's lap.

"Mr. Rubens!"Pearl said worriedly.

"Pearl..."Rubens said weakly. "Please tell... Di.. that I am s-sorry..."

"Who is it?"Pearl asked. "Who do you want me to tell this?"

Rubens' eyes fell closed before he could respond, and his entire body began glowing with a ruby red light. As the two women watched, the light intensified before shattering, Rubens' body vanishing within the light.

"No!"Pearl gasped. "Mr. Rubens!"

xXxXxXx

Amana placed a hand comfortingly on Pearl's slumped shoulders. The Jumi was still understandably upset over Rubens' death. The two currently stood in the temple, where Boyd had summoned them to discuss what had happened.

"The temple recieved a note from Sandra, the jewel hunter."the Inspector explained to the two women. "It said that she will steal the Flame of Hope. I thought she meant the sacred torches... but she was after Mr. Rubens' core! If only I had known that Mr. Rubens was a Jumi! We must catch Sandra, no matter what! I need your help! Will you cooperate?"

"Of course."Amana said with a nod of her head.

"I want to help, too."Pearl insisted.

"Oh, thank you!"the man exclaimed. "Something tells me that Sandra is still around this area. I will search the temple and the village, you go check the outskirts. Let's go!"

Amana nodded, and she and Pearl headed for the outskirts of the village, where there was a multitide of caves and cliffs carved into the mountain.

"Amana, look."Pearl said, pointing to a leaf on the stone ground. Amana knelt down and picked it up, examining it.

"It's a Sproutling leaf. What's he doing here?"she glanced to the side, finding a trail of leaves. "Maybe he still thinks she'll help him, and is following her. Pearl, maybe if we follow this trail of leaves to the Sproutling, we'll find Rubens' killer."

"Then let's do that."Pearl agreed.

The girls followed the leaf trail, leading them further up the mountain through caves and cliff paths. The were eventually led past a waterfall and up to an overfacing cliff, with a giant bird nest perched at the end. The Sproutling whose leaves they had been following stood there, along with the nun they had been searching for.

"I can get rid of the pain you feel."she said.

"Reeeeally?"the Sproutling asked hopefully.

"Yes..."she said witha gleam in her eye. She leaned forward, forcefully removing the insect from the Sproutling's stomach.

"Ow!"the Sproutling cried, falling to the ground. Amana and Pearl both immediately ran forward.

"The jewel hunter!"Pearl exclaimed.

"Oh, more company?"the woman chuckled.

"Now I have you, Sandra!"Boyd's voice shouted from behind Amana and Pearl before the man came up behind them. "You're going to pay for what you've done!"

The woman chuckled darkly, and in a flash of white light her disguise vanished, revealing the same red-haired woman who had attacked Pearl and Amana at the Tower.

"You!"Amana growled angrily, brandishing her spear. The woman, Sandra, laughed.

"No one will ever catch me! Ta-ta, everyone!"

Sanra pulled a grapling hook from her back, and as a giant bird flew by overhead, she tossed the hook high above her head. It latched onto the bird's wing, and she swiftly pulled herself up to mount the creaure.

"Blast it, the Cancun bird!"Boyd exclaimed rushing forward. He hadn't seen the Sproutling lying on the ground, and tripped over him. "Ow!"

"Ouch!"the Sproutling whined before quickly standing up. "Oh, wow! My tummy doesn't hurt anymore!"he jumped up and down excitedly. "Yaaay! I'm okay now!"

"Oh, shut up!"Boyd yelled angrily. "This is no time to celebrate!"

"Oh..."the Sproutling murmured, wilting sadly.

"Another Jumi was murdered..."Boyd muttered. "This is horrible."

"If only I had the power to heal..."Pearl said in the same close-to-tears voice she'd had earlier. Boyd turned to the two women.

"Well, I appreciate your help anyway. Please take this."he handed Amana a piece of Lorant Silver, which she couldn't help thinking would be perfect to upgrade her spear, before turning and looking in the direction Sandra had fled. "Sandra... I WILL catch you one of these days!"

xXxXxXx

Author's Notes:Sorry this took so long to update. I was finally overcoming writer's block on my main project, then I was having trouble doing this chapter the way I wanted to because I wanted to do it and the next one with Pearl in my party, and was having some trouble getting her. I had to cheat by using a second game and taking her to them without taking her into the tower to pull it off.

Also as a story related note, Pulse is basically the term I use for when you see a flash of light and hear a chiming sound from a Jumi's core, in case anyone was confused by that.

I managed to make this one almost twice as long as previous chapters, but to be honest that was easy to do since this mission was much more story-oriented than the other two, which had a much higher amount of dungeon-crawling to them.


	4. Chapter 4:Drowned Dreams

Amana breathed in the salty sea air around her as she stepped into the harbor town of Polpota, Pearl at her side. They had still yet to find Elazul, so the Jumi of Pearl continued to tag along with her friend.

"Do you really think Elazul's here, Amana?"Pearl questioned, just like she did each time they enterred a new place. Amana didn't mind, she knew Pearl was worried and wanted to find Elazul as quickly as possible. She did too, really. Not to get Pearl off her hands, but just to see him. A blush rose to her face as she realized the thought that had just crossed her mind. Why in the world did she want to see him of all people? He was so anti-social, mean to everyone except Pearl.

"Amana?"Pearl questioned the other woman's silence. Amana quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts before smiling down at her friend.

"Never know till we look, right?"

"Right."Pearl said with an uncertain nod, wandering why Amana has acting so strange.

Amana had been to Polpota before, and knew most of the people who lived here. She decided to pay a visit to the hotel. If anyone could tell her if Elazul had been through here, it was the hotel owner. With Pearl following behind her, Amana headed to large seashell shaped hotel in the center of town.

"Wow..."Pearl breathed as she followed Amana inside. "This place is so pretty."

"Yeah, it's amazing, huh?"Amana said with a smile over her shoulder as she approached the check in counter.

"Welcome to the Seaside Hotel."the owner said in his thick Jadd accent. "Ah, Amana, it's you! A pleasure to see you again, my dear! Is this a friend of yours?"

"Yes, this is Pearl."Amana smiled. "Pearl, this is Mr. Moti, the owner of the hotel."

"Please to meet you, young lady."the man smiled widely.

"Oh, the pleasure's all mine."Pearl smiled in return.

"Mr. Moti, has there been a guy named Elazul through town? He's got blue hair and wears weird clothes and has a short temper."

"Hm,"the man thought for a moment, stroking his chin. "No, I don't believe I've seen anyone of that description. I'm sorry."

"That's fine, thanks anyway."Amana nodded, noting that Pearl looked disappointed.

Suddenly, a transluscent figure appeared at the steps of the stairs, vanishing after only a few moments.

"Did you... just... see something?"Mr. Moti asked, his voice shaking in fear before letting out a yelp. "I can't take it anymore! Do you know anyone who's not scared of ghosts?"

Amana giggled softly at her friend's reaction before offering, "I can help."

"Please! I will reward you!"Mr. Moti exclaimed. Amana nodded her head and stepped from the hotel.

"Flameshe might have some idea about this."she speculated.

"Who's Flameshe?"Pearl asked.

"She's a mermai who lives in the sea nearby."Amana explained as they headed over to the town's market district. "She comes close to town sometimes, usually by the flower shop."

Amana headed straight toward the flower shop, greeting the male Flowerling running the stand.

"Hey, Briar."

"Ah, Amana! It's been a while!"the gossip-living Flowerling said. "Hey, listen to this. I hear that people don't feel safe at the Seaside Hotel anymore!"

"Because of the ghost?"Amana questioned.

"Yes, yes, exactly! How scary!"

As if on cue, a large bubble suddenly appeared at the edge of the harbor. Once it vanished, a young mermaid had appeared in its place. Her shoulder length hair was mostly the same color as sand, save for the tips which were the same seaweed green as her eyes. Her tail was a brilliant amber orange color.

"There's no ghost."she said in an almost bored tone.

"Nice to see you too, Flameshe."Amana chuckled, Pearl a little surprised at the mermaid's sudden appearance and airy attitude.

"Ghosts?"Flameshe scoffed. "Aw, someone's just pulling a prank."She turned seaweed green eyes to Amana. "Hey, Amana. It's been a while. And who's this."

"Um, my name is Pearl."Pearl introduced herself shyly.

"Pearl, huh? I'm Flameshe, a mermaid, as you can see. Pleased to meet you! So I guess you're a friend of Amana's?"

"That's right."Pearl nodded, finding herself fascinated by this creature she'd never seen the likes of before.

"So, Flameshe, what were you saying about the ghost?"Amana asked.

"That ghost is just somebody's trick."Flameshe shrugged. "I can't believe everyone is getting so worked up over it."

"But how would someone pull a trick like that?"Amana questioned.

"How would I know?"the mermaid said simply with a shrug. Amana sighed. She should've known she wouldn't get much information from Flameshe. She could be a chatterbox when she was interested in the subject, but for things she wasn't interested in, she never had much to say.

"Have you noticed anything else odd around, Flameshe?"

"Hm..."the mermaid thought for a few moments. "Oh, yeah! Some weird guy's been in town. Said he's looking for, like, a shipwreck or something like that."

"A shipwreck?"Amana murmured.

"Something like that. I dunno, I wasn't really paying attention. He was over on the cliff on the beach last I saw him."

Amana nodded, and she and Pearl headed past the dock to the beach. Amana walked up the sandy cliff overlooking the water, finding a man dressed in armor standing at the edge looking out over the sea.

"Excuse me."Amana called as they approached him. He turned to look at them.

"Ah, greetings. I am Thoma, imperial soldier. I am investigating the imperial ship that sank ten days ago."

"A ship?"Amana questioned.

"Yes. The ship was heading to this port by secret command of the emperor. The weather was fair that day. It truly is a mystery..."

"I see..."Amana murmured. "Um... would you happen to know anything about the ghost at the Seaside Hotel?"

"I wonder about the ghost myself."Thoma answered. "But unforunately, I have no information."

"I see... Well, thanks anyway. Sorry to bother you."she waved over her shoulder as she walked away.

"This is harder than I thought it would be, Amana."Pearl murmured to her friend.

"Yeah, it is."Amana agreed with a nod. "Let's go tell Mr. Moti. Maybe Flameshe's right, and it's just a prank."

The two headed back to the hotel, and outside Amana saw a creature she recognized all too well. He was a strange little creature, with a head resembling the entire body of a fish resting atop a basket-shaped body. And of course, he was appropriately named Basket Fish. Amana wasn't particularly fond of him, knowing how greedy and perverted he could be. Taking Pearl's hand, she tried to walk discreetly around him, but her arm accidentally brushed against him.

"Hey!"the fish creature exclaimed at the blond. "Don't get fresh with me! I'm not like you commoners!"

Amana let out an annoyed sigh, but decided if she had to deal with him, she may as well try to get some information from him.

"Hey, Basket. Seen the ghost?"

"Go away."the fish gave a dismissive wave of his fin, either not noticing or not caring that this only made the blond even more angry, her body literally shaking in anger. "I don't like beggars. Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!"

With that, he turned and walked into the hotel. Pearl noticed how upset Amana was, and tried to say something to pacify her, but the taller blond immediately stomped into the hotel, on the warpath. Pearl squeaked, following close behind her friend.

"Why, it's Mr. Fish!"Mr. Moti was saying to his guest.

"Is Revanshe performing today?"the Fish asked excitedly.

"Yes, she is!"the hotel owner assured him. "Her dancing is even sexier than before!"

"Alright, I'll rent the whole hall. Here's 50,000 Lucre."

"Thank you very much!"

The fish immediately rushed into the performance hall, and Amana approached the counter with a frown.

"Mr. Moti, you know Revanshe hates that lecherous fish!"

"What can I do?"the man gave a dejected sigh. "I've lost all my customers since the ghost came. I'm trying to squeeze that newly-rich fish for all he's worth!"

"I guess you're right."Amana conceded. "Speaking of which, I wasn't really able to find any information. In fact, Flameshe thinks someone is just pulling a prank."

"No, I'm certain it's not just a prank! Please, Amana, don't give up on me! Inspector Boyd has been investigating as well, maybe if you combined the information you have..."

"I'll see what I can do, but I really can't promise anything. Where is Inspector Boyd now?"

"I believe he is at the hotel's harbor."

Amana nodded, walking with Pearl to the doorway leading out to the harbor on the Eastern side of the hotel. As Mr. Moti had surmised, Inspector Boyd was pacing along the harbor, looking lost in thought."

"Hello, Inspector."Pearl called kindly as they approached him.

"Good day, Miss Pearl."the Inspector said to the white-clad Jumi.

"Inspector, do you have any information about the ghost?"Amana asked.

"Ah, the one that haunts the Seaside Hotel? What nonsense!"

"So you don't have any information then? What about the ship Thoma's been investigating?"

"I heard it sank. If the weather was clear, maybe it was engine trouble! You sure are thurough! Quite impressive!"the Inspector chuckled. "Is there anything else?"

"Why are you here, Inspector?"

"Do you suspect me? You're right... I came here on assignment. The jewel hunter left a note here, and said she would take the Blue Eye. So if you see anyone with blue eyes, report to me immediately."

"The jewel hunter?"Pearl asked with wide eyes.

"Right."the Inspector nodded. "You should be extra careful as well." he then turned to Amana. "So have you seen anyone with blue eyes?"

"I wasn't really able to see his eyes, but what about that soldier, Thoma?"

"What, the imperial soldier? I see... I'll check it out."

The Inspector gave both women a nod of the head before heading back to the hotel.

"Hey, Amana, what's over there?"Pearl questioned, gesturing to the opposite end of the harbor.

"Oh, that's the Sea's Bounty. It's the hotel's cafe."

"A cafe? Oh, can we go see?"Pearl asked with bright eyes. Amana chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Sure, but we can't stay for long."

The two women walkd over to the cafe, and Amana was surprised to find Thoma there, talking to one of the two pirate penguins who were dining there.

"I am Thoma, imperial soldier. Do you have any information regarding the shipwreck?"

"Underestimate the sea at yer own risk!"the pirate said to the soldier.

"Right, right!"said his companion.

"That might be right."Thoma murmured. He gave a sigh and moved to leave the cafe.

"Wait a second!"the first penquin stopped him. "I don't know if it's true, but there's a guy called Basket Fish. He said he sees everything that happens under the sea."

"Basket...?"the knight murmured.

"He's at the Seaside Hotel, drooling over that dancer."

"Thanks! I'll go check it out!"Toma said before running out of the cafe and back toward the hotel.

"Amana, maybe we should follow him."Pearl suggested. Amana nodded, immediately chasing after the soldier and following him outside the hotel.

"Basket Fish, huh?"Thoma was saying to himself. "What a stupid name."

"You! You! Stop!"Inspector Boyd called, rushing over from the docks. He dug in his coat pocket before handing Thoma a card. "Here's my card."

"Ispector Boyd?"Thoma read the card.

"I've discovered a clue regarding the imperial ship and the hotel ghost!"the mouse man explained.

"The imperial ship and the ghost?"

"What do you think? Would you mind helping me out?"

"Hmm... certainly."

"Why, thank you, Mr... What was your name?"

"Thoma."

"Right, Mr. Thoma. Let's go. Miss Pearl, Miss Amana, I may need your help as well."

"Right."Amana nodded, and she and Pearl followed the two men into the hall Basket Fish had rented.

"I am Thoma, of the Imperial Army. Do you know anything about the shipwreck?"

"I don't know anything."the fished waved his fin in dismissal. "Leave me alone."

"Say..."Inspector Boyd said. "I heard you're very wealthy. That's pretty amazing!"

Thoma and the girls remained silent, wandering what sort of angle the Inspector was trying to work. The fish laughed at this.

"And you inherited an incredible jewel?"Boyd continued. "May I see it?"

"Hmmm, I don't know..."

"It's called the Blue Eye, and it show everything that happens in the ocean."

"Let me see it, please!"Thoma pleaded. "It might tell us how the ship-"

"No."the fish said bluntly.

"I want to see the Blue Eye, too!"the dancer on stage said emphatically. Amana gave Revanshe a grateful look, and the dancer smiled in her direction.

"Alright!"Basket said at that. He pulled out a blue gem and held it up. Amana and Pearl both gasped as they realized it was a sapphire Jumi core, which Pulsed once in the fish's fin.

"Wow!"Revanshe breathed.

Pearl's own core Pulsed as she took a step closer. "It's a Jumi core!"

Suddenly, a blue glow emenated from the sapphire core, reaching out to envelop them all. The room seemed to fade around them, giving way to a transluscent image of a ship.

"Wow..."Pearl breathed, looking around at their surroundings. "It looks so real. Is this the power of the Blue Eye?"

"Look over there."Amana pointed down the deck, where several soldiers stood recieving orders from their captain.

"This is..."Thoma said in a surprised voice.

"We have been ordered to obtain the ultimate firearm by our lord."the captain was saying to the soldiers. "Polpota may have important clues about it. Our lord has given us permission to use force, if necesarry. We must succeed, men!"

"Yes, sir!"the soldiers all unisoned.

"Back to your posts!"

Another soldier rushed over suddenly. "Captain Thona!"

"What is the matter?"

"A sea hag is coming towards us!"

"A sea hag! Do not listen to its voice, men!"

No sooner had the words escaped the captain's lips than a hauntingly beautiful song filled the air. The soldiers seemed visibly affected by it, suddenly beginning to stagger. The vision slowly faded away, and everyone once again found themselves in the Seaside Hotel's performance hall.

"I see..."Thoma murmured. "So a sea hag sank it."

"How pitiful."Revanshe murmured.

Suddenly, the ghost they had been pursuing appeared beside Basket, who screamed in horror. Amana reflexively drew her spear, and noticed that the ghost suddenly became awfully solid.

"The truth of our death..."the 'ghost' rasped. "Hand me the Blue Eye!"

"Ah!"Pearl exclaimed, hiding behind Amana.

"The Blue Eye...!"

"Alright!"Basket exclaimed, trembling in fear. "I'll give you the eye! Don't curse me!"

The ghost snatched the core from Basket's fin and immediately ran from the room.

"I was so scared! I didn't know ghosts ran!"

A moment later, Inspector Boyd, who Amana hadn't even realized left the room, came rushing back inside.

"I have a question regarding your large inheritance."

"My inheritance is gone!"

"Huh? What about the Blue Eye?"

"Didn't you see, Inspector?"Thoma questioned. "The ghost came and took it away!"

"Huh! Ghosts aren't real! Wake up!"

"What? You were here, weren't you?"

"Here? Me?"Boyd cursed loudly. "Blast it! It was the jewel hunter! I bet that ghost was, too!"

"Nooo!"Basket moaned before passing out.

"Dammit, she got away again."Amana cursed. After taking a few minutes to calm herself, she lead Pearl out of the performance hall back to the hotel's main lobby.

"Oh, Amana!"Mr. Moti exclaimed. "Thank you so much for solving the ghost mystery! This is the reward I promised!"

The man handed Amana a money pouch, filled with 1000 Lucre.

"Thanks, Mr. Moti."Amana nodded before turning to Pearl. "I can't believe I let her get away again. I'm so sorry, Pearl."

"It's not your fault, Amana."Pearl assured her with a smile. "I'm sure you'll get her next time."

"You're right."Amana smiled softly. "Well now that this is settled, let's look somewhere else for Elazul."

xXxXxXx

Author Notes:Yet another chapter finished! Actually, to be honest I finished this chapter back in September... I'd THOUGHT I'd already uploaded it, and didn't realize I hadn't yet until I recieved a review earlier wandering if this would be the next one... Gomen! T_T

Also a quick note:Most of you have probably noticed that the chapters are named after the Jumi Core prevelent to the chapter, whether that's the name of the mission the chapter is based on or not. That being the case, most of you probably assumed this chapter would be called Blue Eye, right? Wrong! Even though the Sapphire Core is called the Blue Eye during this mission, if you talk to Alex in Geo about Jumi Cores, he tells you that the Sapphire Core is actually called Drowned Dreams.


End file.
